Study programme

Mathematical Econometrics

The Amsterdam School of Economics' Master’s in Econometrics provides a balanced and rigorous training in the quantitative analysis of problems in economics and finance. You will become fluent in the application of advanced mathematical and statistical methods, supported by modern software packages such as E-Views and Matlab. The multidisciplinary one-year programme consists of advanced courses in both mathematical economics and econometrics.

The programme in brief

To fully understand the field of Mathematical Economics, you'll need the skills, expertise and techniques that are required to apply robust statistical methods, to be used in exploring all topics, research and issues relevant to the discipline. Study different learning models of bounded rationality, compute and analyse the stability of steady states, and find out about evolutionary finance. The multidisciplinary character of the programme is reflected in the wide range of courses you can take, such as: General Equilibrium Theory, Micro-Econometrics, Financial Mathematics for Insurance, and Bounded Rationality.

All of the acclaimed lecturers in the programme are researchers in one of the ten research programmes of the Amsterdam School of Economics (ASE). The school is affiliated with a number of internal and external economics-related research institutes, enriching the research and career opportunities for students in the Master’s programme. ASE's courses in Non-Linear Economic Dynamics and Bounded Rationality, for instance, are directly connected to the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics in Economics and Finance (CeNDEF), a research facility dedicated to the subjects.

Programme structure

The Econometrics programme is a one-year programme of 60 ECTS credits (1 ECTS credit = 0.5 US credits). The academic year runs from September to the middle of July and is divided into two semesters, each with three periods. Refer to the academic calendar for exact dates.

The curriculum for the Master’s in Econometrics is quite demanding, with classes taking up 12-15 hours a week on average. An additional 25 hours are required for class preparation, homework, debates, casework and computer time.

First semester

In the first semester, you'll be given a solid basis in econometrics with several core courses for students of all tracks. General Equilibrium Theory teaches you to formulate the general equilibrium model and understand its basic properties, and critically evaluate underlying model assumptions and implications. Through Advanced Econometrics 1 and 2, you’ll obtain a deep understanding of econometric theory, practice and inference by using a variety of advanced techniques. The theoretical background and economic applications of Game Theory trains you in the ability to model interactive decision-making situations using game-theoretic techniques, and compute and characterise their equilibrium outcomes.

You’ll also take two track defining electives: Non-linear Economic Dynamics and Bounded Rationality. The first discusses mathematical modelling of non-linear dynamic phenomena and its application to economics and finance, focusing on behavioural rationality and heterogeneous expectations in complex economic systems. Bounded Rationality challenges the leading paradigm in economic theory that assumes that economic agents are perfectly rational in making their decisions in favour of bounded rationality models, where agents violate full rationality and behave more in accordance with experimental evidence.

Second semester

During the first part of the second semester, you can choose three electives. Part two will be spent on completing a thesis focussing on a Mathematical Economics subject. A research staff member from the Department of Quantitative Economics will supervise your work.

Electives

In total it is possible to choose 25 EC as electives in the master's curriculum. 15 EC must be chosen from the following list of master courses in econometrics:

Bounded Rationality (5 EC)

Financial Econometrics (5 EC)

Micro-Econometrics (5 EC)

Non-linear Economic Dynamics (5 EC)

Stochastic Calculus (5 EC)

Machine Learning for Econometrics (5 EC)

Quantitative Marketing (5 EC)

For the Mathematical Economics track the courses Non-linear Economic Dynamics and Bounded Rationality are mandatory, leaving one choice of a course from this list. The remaining 10 EC can be chosen freely from the master's courses of the Amsterdam School of Economics and Finance (not including Derivatives).
If preferred, other master's courses, for example those offered by the Amsterdam Business School, or computer science or mathematics courses, can also be chosen. For these courses, permission from the Board of Examiners is required. The Board of Examiners will contact the programme director for a recommendation in these cases.

Thesis

Your Master’s thesis is your graduation piece of work and it will be supervised by one of the researchers in Department of Quantitative Economics. Your thesis must add to the existing body of scientific knowledge to an appropriate extent and it may be written during an internship at a firm.

Internships and exchange

Students who have completed the curriculum of the Mathematical Econometrics track will have the possibility of doing an internship or go on exchange. This especially gives international students a unique opportunity to experience the Dutch labour market.